It’s been a rough year for online games. New World, Zenith, Star Conflict and others have all announced their servers are going offline, and Ashes of Creation collapsed weeks into Early Access. Here’s every confirmed MMO closure for 2026 and 2027, what happens to your purchases, and what’s left to play before the lights go out. We’ll keep this page updated as new closures are announced.
Every Confirmed Closure
New World: Aeternum (January 31, 2027)
The biggest closure on the list. Amazon announced on January 15, 2026, that New World: Aeternum would go offline on January 31, 2027, on PlayStation, Xbox and Steam, and delisted it the same day. The in-game store closed on July 20, 2026, and Marks of Fortune purchases are not refundable. Existing owners can play until the end, with the Nighthaven season extended until shutdown.
A fan project called Project Azoth has started work on a rogue server, and Facepunch’s Alistair McFarlane publicly offered Amazon $25 million for the game, an offer he later said began as a joke. Neither is an official way to keep playing. Our full New World shutdown explainer covers what happens to your account.
Zenith: Nexus (December 18, 2026)
Ramen VR’s VR MMORPG, which launched as Zenith: The Last City, shuts down on December 18 at 10:00am PST. Active development ended in summer 2024, after a free-to-play switch earlier that year failed to stop a falling player count, and the servers have run in maintenance mode since.
Sales of The Last City DLC and the Zennies currency ended on October 21. The free version can still be downloaded until November 18, and existing players can keep playing until the servers close. Ramen has said there are no plans for an offline version or community servers.
Star Conflict (October 10, 2026)
The space combat MMO announced its closure on April 16, 2026. New registrations closed on May 14, in-game purchases ended on June 1, and the servers shut down on October 10. The team cited technical limitations, higher infrastructure costs and a declining player base.
Legend of Heavenly Destiny (July 12, 2026)
This Chinese MMO from tygame launched in summer 2024 and shut down on July 12, 2026, less than two years later, when it was also removed from the Steam store. In-game purchases were disabled on April 13, 2026. The developer said player numbers had fallen and revenue was “no longer sufficient” to cover server costs.
Ashes of Creation (Studio Collapse, February 2026)
The most dramatic story of the year. Ashes of Creation entered Steam Early Access on December 11, 2025, after years of crowdfunding. At the end of January 2026, creative director Steven Sharif resigned citing a dispute with the board, senior leadership left, and the board filed layoff notices describing a “permanent closure” affecting 123 employees. Steam stopped selling the game on February 2.
Former employees have since sued over unpaid compensation, and an investor has publicly accused Sharif of fraud, allegations that have not been proven.
What Happens to Your Purchases When an MMO Shuts Down?
The pattern across these closures is consistent:
In-game currency is gone. New World and Zenith both stopped selling premium currency months before shutdown, and New World says Marks of Fortune purchases won’t be refunded.
Game refunds go through your store. Amazon directs New World buyers to the platform they bought it on, so recent buyers should contact Steam, PlayStation or Xbox support.
Characters don’t carry over. None of these games has announced a way to export characters or move them to another game.
There’s usually an offline option only if the developer builds one. Zenith has said it won’t. When an online-only game closes, it generally stops working completely.
Where to Go Next
If your MMO is on this list, 2026 has plenty of new options. MapleStory Classic World, Dragon Nest Classic and EverQuest Legends all launched this year, and WoW Forever arrives on November 4. Our roundup of every classic MMO launching in 2026 covers them all, and our Aion 2 overview looks at NC’s big new launch.